Decoy



April 1, 1941.

Filed 061:. 22, 1940 k B E. OHNMACHT 2.237.194

DECOY 2 Sheets-Slxggt 1 20 Ir wentor Bernard 1 Onmac4 2 April 1, 1941. QHNMACHT I 2,237,194

DECDY Filed Opt. 22, 1940 2 SheetS-She etZ Inventor -Brxar/ OAfibraklf Aiim ney PatentedApr. 1, 1941 UNITED. ES airy;

orrics 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a decoy for attracting water fowl to a selected area, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which may be easily manufactured to simulate various water fowl, such as wild ducks, geese or the like and which will closely resemble the natural movements of a fowl while swimming, being so constructed that the flow or current of the water acts as its motive power and may be easily adjusted to compensate for the variances in the speed of the flower currents of the water.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a device of the above stated character which will be stable in the water and may have the head easily adjusted with respect to the body with means whereby the head will have the efiect of moving relative to the body.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the above stated character which will be durable, life-like and may be easily adjusted into a compact device for handling and storing and may be manufactured and sold at a low cost.

With these and other objects in View as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had' to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a decoy constructed in accordance with my invention, and showing the adjusted position of the head with respect to the body.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view illustrating the connection between the body of the decoy and the combined rudder and stabilizer.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view illustrating the device with the combined rudder and stabilizer in a folded position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view illustrating the combined rudder and stabilizer in a folded position.

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the combined rudder and stabilizer.

Figure 6 is a perspective View of a journal in the form of a tube or sleeve.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numetal 5 indicates the body of the device, 8 the head and 1 the neck. It is to be understood that the parts referred to are shaped to simulate a water fowl and made from any material suitable for the purpose which will have the desired buoy ancy and durability. The neck I consists of separable sections one integral with the head and the other section integral with the body, thereby providing for separation and adjustment of the head with respect to the body.

, The body 5 is bored to receive a journal in the form of a sleeve or tube 8 which extends through the bottom wall of the body and throughthe section of the neck integral with the body. A rod 9 having screw threaded ends is rotatab-ly received by the sleeve or tube extending below the body and above the section of the neck integral with the body and is adapted to enter the section of the neck integral with the head.

The head 6 is chambered, as shown at it, opening outwardly through the section of the neck integral with the head and also opening outwardly at the under side of the head and closed by plastic wood, as shown at W. The chamber It] decreases the weight of the head which is desirable as well as provides a space to receive the upper end of the rod 9.

A portion of the chamber iii is reduced to receive the upper'end of the rod 9 after the latter is threaded through a bushing. I2 fitted in a portion of the chamber ID. A lock nut i3 is threaded on the rod to force a washer l I against the bushing. The portion of the chamber H] which receives the rod is filled in with plastic wood, as, shown at E2.

An anchor arm I4 is secured on the lower end of the rod by nuts I5 and at its free end is provided with an eye it to which an anchor cable (not shown) may be attached' Al'l attaching plate I? is suitably secured to the under face of the body and extends longitudinaily thereof and is substantially triangular shaped in cross section including the converging portions I8, one of which has a series of notches I9. The converging portions If; at the free edges are spaced, as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.

A combined stabilizer and rudder is indicated in entirety by the character 29 and includes a plate 2! which is cut away, as shown at 22, to

provide a reduced portion 23 which is bent upon itself to form a connecting portion 24 of substantially triangular shape in cross section including the converging walls 25, one of which is free from the plate 2| and provided with projections 26 to snap into the notches iii of the attaching plate I! for adjustably and releasably securing the otherwise convenient handling of the body without interference from the combined rudder and 'i Also this attachment between the stabilizer. combined rudder and stabilizer and the body permits the combined rudder and" stabilizer to be adjusted forwardly and rearwardly of the body to compensate for the variance of the speed of the current or flow of the water in which the decoy is operating.

In operation, the decoy is anchored in a body of water by having the anchor cable or line attached to the eye l6 of the anchorarm or rod I 4. The flow of waterpast the body and the combined rudder and stabilizer will cause the body to swing on the cable from side to side and as the body swings the head remains in a fixed position. However, the movement of the body withrespect to the head gives the effect that the head is moving relative to the body to simulate the action of a swimming fowl turning the head from side to side. If desired, the arm may be adjusted on the rod so as to direct the head rear.- Wardly with respect to the body and as the latter swings in the water from sideto side will give' the effect of the fowl acting on the feathers of the body by the bill of the head.

The combined stabilizer and rudder is adjusted forwardly of the body for a slow moving current or fiow of water and is adjusted rearwardly of the body for a fast moving current or flow of water. Due to the rod 9 being journaled in the sleeve 8 the body may swing freely with respect to the head and also the head may be adjusted vertically in either direction on the rod and thereby relative to the body.

A decoy constructed in accordance with the foregoing will be extremely stable when in water and will not be easily upset or otherwise disturbed by rough water and is free to swing from side to side on its anchor and thereby bring about the effect of the head moving with respect to the body to simulate the movements of a swimming water fowl.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may bev made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what 1 claim is:

1. In a decoy, a body, a head, a sleeve extending through the body, a rod journaled in said sleeve and detachably and adjustably connected to the head for the adjustment of the head toward and from the body and to permit movement of the body with respect to the head, an anchor arm secured to said rod and including an eye for connecting an anchor line thereto, an attaching plate secured to the under face of the body and of substantially triangular shape in cross section providing converging walls and one of said walls having notches, a combined rudder and stabilizer including a plate having a portion thereof bent on itself to form a triangular shaped portion having projections and slidably received by the attaching plate with the projections fitting in the notches, and weight elements secured on said plate and tapering toward one edge of the plate.

2. In a decoy, a body, a head having a chamber, a rod journaled in said body and extending into the chamber of' the head, means coactive with the head and located in the chamber for adjustably and detachably connecting the head on the rod, an anchor arm detachably and adjustably secured to said rod, and a combined stabilizer and rudder adjustably and detachably mounted on said body and capable of assuming a depending positionwith respect to the under face of the body or a position horizontally and paralleling the bottom face of the body.

3. In a decoy, a body, a head, means for rotatably connecting said head to the body and adapted for connection to an anchor line, a channeled track secured to the body and extending longitudinally thereof and provided with spaced notches, a combined stabilizer and rudder including an attaching portion shaped to match the shape of the track and slidable therein and longitudinally of the body, and projections on said attaching portion to enter said notches for securing said stabilizer and rudder against longitudinal adjustment on the body and movable out of said notches by positioning said attaching portion partly outwardly of said'track and thereby permit sliding movement of the combined stabilizer and rudder longitudinally of the body and for folding the combined stabilizer and rudder close to the body; I

BERNARD E. OI-INMACHT. 

